Friday, October 24, 2014

I've talked a lot lately about life with a new baby, but there is also another big change going on around here at the moment. At 23 months old, Lincoln is becoming more and more like a little person and much less like a baby. He's moved past walking and now likes to run everywhere, he climbs on top of anything he can find, talks in little sentences and has very strong opinions (which normally involve him yelling 'Noooo' or 'Yeee-uck' at the top of his lungs!!).

One of the biggest challenges we're having is getting him to lie still on his change table for nappy changes. When Mum and Aggie (Sean's mum) were staying with us they learnt first hand that he likes to flip over, kick your belly as hard as he can and generally try to escape at every nappy change. I recently moved his change pad off his table and onto the floor, but all it's done is give him the chance to escape even quicker!

Even though I'd been having all these nappy changing challenges I hadn't really done anything about it. I guess I was in the mindset of 'just keep wrangling the baby and get the job done'. So when BabyLove offered to send me out some Nappy Pants it was kind of like a light bulb moment. I've seen the ads on TV, but it hadn't ever clicked that maybe I should give them a go. I guess my thinking was that because he's not ready for toilet training he also wasn't ready for nappy pants.

I've been using the BabyLove Nappy Pants since the package arrived and I can't believe the difference it has been making. I've been telling Lincoln they're his 'big boy nappies' and his little face looks so proud when we do 'standing changes'!! Seriously, toddlers are hilarious!

Even with our new standing up nappy changes I still have to be super quick, his attention span is really short and at any moment he will attempt to take off in search of his next adventure. The nappy pants have tear away sides, so I basically rip them off him as quick as I can and then (thanks to the super stretchy 360 degree waist band) I help him step into the next pair and pull them straight up. A quick pat on the bum and he's good to go!

An added bonus that I've found since starting to use them is that because there are no tabs he can't unfasten them. Link's not a fan of nappy-free time, but he loves playing with the tabs on his nappies. The end result is usually his nappy falling off and him coming to my crying because he wants his nappy back on. The stretchy waist also helps prevent over zealous dads and grandparents from doing the nappy up so tight that his little belly pops out over the top.

Since switching to the nappy pants they're the only type of nappy I've needed to use, I’ve had them on him overnight and they hold up
beautifully. Definitely no dreaded leaks! There is nothing worse than waking up to a toddler screaming because his favourite blanket is all wet (trust me, I've been there...). Trying to get that blanket clean and dry on a day when we have to be out and about early is a disaster.

Another thing I am absolutely loving about BabyLove is that they've made this adorable little baby soother youtube video. Now to be completely honest when I first heard about it I thought it was going to be a bit gimmicky and probably wasn't going to mention it. But I played it for Lincoln and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. He danced along with Baby Bud, laughed and clapped his chubby little hands. When it was finished he said 'more bebe mumma'!! So cute! When BabyLove tested it in Japan it soothed 96% of crying babies, I will definitely be trying it on Elliot next time I can't settle him.

More good news, I have a BabyLove Nappy Pants and Wipes package valued at more than $250 to give to one of you! To enter leave a comment below telling me about the tactics your toddlers have used to try and get away during nappy changes. All the Terms and Conditions can be found here.

In the meantime if you want to go out and buy your own pack of Nappy Pants, they're available at all the major supermarkets. They come in Toddler (9-14kg), Walker (12-17kg) & Junior (15-25kg) and can be purchased in either bulk ($16.99) or Jumbo packs ($29.99). Give them a go, if your toddler is anything like Lincoln you won't regret it! If you would like to request a sample, click here.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Ever since I finished Lincoln's nursery I have been working away on finishing Max's big boy room. I'm not quite there yet, but it's getting very, very close! I get so much satisfaction from working on Max's room because he loves seeing the little changes and gets genuinely excited that I'm making his room into something special for him.

One of the projects I've recently ticked off his list are these DIY bookshelves. For ages now I've been in love with the idea of using Ikea Ribba Ledges as bookshelves. I've seen so many gorgeous shots on Instagram showing how people have styled them into their kids rooms. The only problem I had was that the ledges came in two lengths, neither of which were perfect for the space I wanted to fill. So I bit the bullet and built some. They were super simple to make, and worked out really cost effective. The only drama I had was the time it took me to make, prep and paint them. Buying the Ikea ones would have cost about the same and been much quicker, but you do what you have to do!

As soon as I realised I was going to need to make them I searched Pinterest for some inspiration and came across this tutorial. I'm not going to rehash the details of how I made them because I pretty much followed Cindy's instructions exactly. I got them finished a couple of days before Elliot was born and then Sean installed them for me a few weeks later.

Max loves them and so do I!! Next up I'll be adding a few finishing touches to his room and then it will be all done. Can't wait to share more!

Thursday, October 16, 2014

I'm just going to put it out there that self-imposed maternity leave is just about the best thing ever! I have thoroughly enjoyed having nothing to do for the last 12 weeks. Having said that, it's time for Max & Me to reopen and I couldn't be happier.

I've been busy sewing up a storm for the last couple of weeks and have filled my virtual shelves full of stock.

You can head on over and check out my store on Etsy or Down That Little Lane. If you have any questions about an item or if you would like to request a custom order send me an email - tamsynriley@gmail.com.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

This post has been a long time coming, but I am finally sharing all the photos and details from Lincoln's sweet blue nursery. There's nothing like a new baby to make you realise all the things you haven't done yet!

Link's room is my favourite place in our house, it's so serene and calm. I think simple blue and white will always be a winner with me.

The Boori Sleigh Cot is a much loved hand-me-down from my beautiful sister. Max used it when he was a baby, Lincoln is in it now and it will eventually be Elliot's when he's ready to move out of his bassinet. The cot is made up with a stunning quilt made by my very clever mum, a 'love' and star cushion from my shop, a gorgeous Robin and Mould cloud cushion, a diy pom pom trim cushion and Lincoln's much loved blanket (that he has called nee-nee for as long as he has been able to talk!).

The felt ball rug is a custom order from etsy, I love that you can choose any colour combination you like and have it made up into a gorgeous statement piece. The whale blanket that Link has is another favourite of mine from Goo Collection and is so perfect in this room.

The ikea expedit is another hand-me-down, I originally had it in here when this was Max's room and it stayed when Link moved in. It's filled with so many things that he loves! Link has also really fallen in love with books lately and is always pulling books out and bringing them to us to read. Most days we end up sitting on the felt ball rug and reading together at least five or six times. The baskets down the bottom hold most of his toys, they're sorted by type so that we can find things easily. One for blocks, another for cars, planes etc, another for noisy toys and the last basket holds cuddly toys.

I made this cloud mobile as the room was coming together and I absolutely love how it turned out. Some of these may end up in my shop soon, stay tuned!

This little corner of Link's room is hands down my favourite! I picked the dresser up second hand from an op shop, it was originally dark brown but I knew it would be perfect as soon as I saw it. I primed it, painted it with about a million coats of paint and switched out the brass drawer pulls for silver ones.

The mobile above the table was a diy I did years ago (again it was originally for Max's room), once we had ceiling fans installed I moved it from the centre of the room to it's current location. Lincoln adores it and loves to sing twinkle twinkle with us as we change him.

The mini gallery wall is full of special pieces of art, the whale is a custom ink original by Rhi from Hummingbird's Song and the 'shine like the stars' is from another Aussie seller Billy and Scarlet.

So there we have it, at long last Lincoln's room is up on the blog!! In a couple of months I will be transforming this room into a new 'big boy' bedroom for him but this sweet blue and white space will always be a favourite of mine.

Monday, October 13, 2014

One of the things I am loving is the amazing amount of talented interior designers that are around at the moment. Whether you are a DIYer or someone who likes to pay for a job well done, the ideas out there are endless.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Having trouble during nappy change time with a wriggly baby? Try BabyLove Nappy Pants - with no tabs to contend with, the 360-degree stretchy waist allows you to pull them up quickly and easily, so your active toddler can get back to action in no time! Request a sample.

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Six weeks in to life as a mum of three and believe it or not I'm still surviving! So far there have been a few little challenges, but it's nowhere near as overwhelming as I expected. I'd like to think that third time around I am a lot more laid back than I have been in the past and so much more willing to go with the flow.

I've put together a little list of things that I have found really helpful. Whether you're expecting your first or third (or even your seventh!) hopefully you'll find these tips useful, even if they just remind you that you're not the only one with an unsettled baby or a hyperactive toddler!

Every Baby is Different - I cannot stress this one enough, every baby is different from the last. Seems obvious right? It wasn't for me. When Lincoln was born I totally expected him to have the same needs, habits and routines as Max had. When he didn't I went into total meltdown mode. Instead of working with what he wanted, I tried and tried to get him to be like Max. And when he wasn't I cried (and screamed) and resented the fact that he wasn't a 'perfect' baby. I don't recommend taking that approach! This time around I expected Elliot to be different from Max and Link, and he definitely is. Almost every thing I'm doing with him is different and that's totally ok.

Go With Whatever Works - I am a huge advocate of doing whatever works, as long as your baby is safe I see no harm in giving them exactly what they want in the early days. Before Max was born I had a whole set of rules outlined for myself. He would always fall asleep in his own cot, I wouldn't give him a dummy, he would breastfeed for 12 months, I wouldn't spoil him by holding him to much (!!), no sugar until he was three etc etc. How totally naive was I?!! I learnt very quickly that you need to throw the rule book out the window each time you have a baby. Giving your baby what he wants is the kindest thing you can do and it also saves your sanity. Lincoln hated the swing and preferred to be put down to sleep in a dark, quiet room. Max liked to be swaddled up really tightly and loved his dummy. Lincoln refused a dummy, but learnt to self settle as soon as he was old enough to find his thumb. Elliot loves to be held and rocked, during the day he alternates between sleeping on my chest in a sling or in his Fisher Price swing. He loves noise and sleeps with a white noise app at night (which I personally love too, I have never slept better!). Lincoln woke to feed every night until he was 15 months and Max slept through the night from 12 weeks. You get the point... They all want and need different things... Just go with it!

Say YES When People Offer to Help - Any guesses what I said when help was offered with my first baby!! I thought that to be a successful parents Sean and I needed to be able to do every thing on our own. Don't get me wrong, we still had family come to stay, but I micro managed everything. The grandparents had to follow my 'parenting rules', I stressed out when the dishwasher was loaded 'wrong', I felt like a failure when they settled Max for me, I even refolded all the clean towels after my mother in law left because they weren't done 'perfectly'. I laugh about it now, but really I was so tightly strung back then. Elliot was born six weeks ago and so far I have spent a total of four days on my own with the boys. Between my mum and mother-in-law staying with us, Sean taking annual leave and us spending time up the coast with Sean's parents I have had help the entire time. And it has been the best thing ever!! For the first four weeks I didn't have to cook a single meal or even wash my own clothes. The best part was that Max and Link had lots of attention and I didn't have to worry that they were missing out because of their new baby brother. When help is offered accept it graciously!! You won't regret it.

Listen to Your Mum (and Your Mother-in-Law) - I don't quite know where I got the massive chip on my shoulder from, but first time around I was convinced that I knew better than our mums. It didn't matter that they had both successfully raised two kids each, I was sure I knew more about looking after a baby. Turns out though they both had invaluable advice and were actually quite good at looking after babies and kids. Who would have thought!! Provided you had a happy childhood I highly recommend listening to your parents :).

Enjoy Yourself - Last but certainly not least, have fun. Enjoy the little moments! Babies and kids grow up so quickly. In the blink of an eye I've gone from having one tiny little newborn to having a four year old, an almost two year old and another brand new baby. No matter what you do, time will keep on keeping on, so make the most of the little moments. Enjoy your babies, they are little bundles of joy (even when they're screaming as you try to get the perfect photo!).

Having trouble during nappy change time with a wriggly baby? Try BabyLove Nappy Pants - with no tabs to contend with, the 360-degree stretchy waist allows you to pull them up quickly and easily, so your active toddler can get back to action in no time! Request a sample.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

If you follow me anywhere other than this (badly neglected) blog you might have heard that I had my third baby a little over a month ago. Elliot is seriously the sweetest thing ever and with his arrival I finally feel like my family is complete.

Elliot's birth was straight forward and uncomplicated, an elective c-section 3 days before my due date. He came out healthy and happy and started to feed while I was still in theatre. Just like with Max and Lincoln it was love at first sight for Sean and I, we couldn't believe how perfect he was! Towards the end of my pregnancy I was so sure that he was going to be much smaller than Lincoln and he definitely was. A tiny 7 pound 9 ounces (3.4kg). As soon as we saw him we knew he was little, but I think we were both surprised to see that he was less than 8 pounds!

Max and Lincoln came up to visit a few hours after he was born, something I was looking forward to so much. Max fell head over heels in love with him and has been amazing ever since. He loves talking to him, playing with him on his mat, tickling his little feet and singing to him when he cries. Such an amazing big brother! Elliot has started smiling back at Max in the last couple of days. My favourite thing ever!!

Lincoln still hasn't quite turned two yet and I was really nervous about how he would react to Elliot's arrival. I don't think he really understood that there was a baby on the way or even that Elliot would be coming home from the hospital with us. When he first met Elliot, Link was surprised and curious, but if got too close to the baby he would yell out 'NO'. Although once we got home he got used to Elliot very quickly. Now he likes to kiss him goodnight, says 'hello bebe', pushes him in his swing and even tries to give him a dummy when he cries. Very cute!

The first few weeks at home were absolutely blissful, my Mum and Sean's Mum took turns staying with us for the first three and a half weeks and then Sean took 3 weeks leave so he could enjoy some family time too. Having the Mums here was exactly what I needed, I took heaps of naps, did barely any housework or cooking and was super happy knowing that Max and Link were getting plenty of attention. It was the best thing in the entire world.

These last couple of weeks Elliot has been having a bit more trouble settling both during the day and at night. He went from sleeping really well and only feeding once or twice per night to staying awake from midnight to 6am and fussing a lot during the day. We've invested in a sling and a baby swing and have also started using a white noise app at night time. It seems to be working and I'm happy to just keep going with the flow and switching things up as his needs change. All in all I am so happy with all three of my boys (and my sweet husband), being a mum is the greatest thing on earth and I am very lucky to have three gorgeously healthy boys.